The Amazon triangle scam, also known as triangulation fraud, is a sophisticated scam that targets unsuspecting e-commerce shoppers. It involves three parties: the buyer, the scammer, and a legitimate seller with a genuine product.
The scam begins when the scammer lists a popular, high-value product on a marketplace like Amazon at a significantly lower price than usual. This creates a sense of urgency for the buyer to make a quick purchase. Once the buyer pays for the fraudulent listing, the scammer uses stolen payment information to order the same product from a legitimate seller.
The legitimate seller then ships the product to the buyer’s address, unaware that the purchase was made using stolen payment information. The buyer receives the product, thinking they’ve scored a great deal, while the scammer pockets the buyer’s payment.
However, the legitimate seller faces chargebacks when the stolen payment method is discovered. They are forced to refund the stolen payment method, pay extra chargeback fees, and lose out on the product that now resides with the buyer. In some cases, the legitimate seller may try to reach out to the buyer for the product back, leading to confusion and potential legal issues for the buyer.
To protect yourself from triangulation fraud, always be vigilant when shopping online. Be suspicious of offers that seem too good to be true and compare the prices of a product on different platforms. If you find yourself a victim of this scam, contact the police, inform the legitimate seller, and report the fraud to the marketplace.
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